Coughing as a symptom. Inflammation of the lungs or a cold?

Inflammation of the lungs, or as the disease is called in the medical world - pneumonia, is contagious. The disease can be a complication after viral infections. Factors such as influenza, infections, hypothermia, intoxication contribute to pneumonia. Both bacteria and viral pathogens can cause pneumonia.

Symptoms of pneumonia

In both children and adults, the symptoms of pneumonia are the same:

• increase in body temperature;
• cough with sputum discharge;
• severe runny nose;
• headaches and muscle aches;
• severe shortness of breath;
• well-heard wheezing in the lungs;
• pallor;
• tachycardia;
• poor appetite;
• chills.

In general, the symptoms depend on the viral pathogen, so our list may both supplement or exclude some points.

Cough, as a symptom constantly associated with the disease, pneumonia in which it is easy to diagnose, will allow you to start timely treatment and prevent complications of the disease. With improper therapy, this disease can even lead to death.

Quite often, the fight against an ailment occurs at home. The patient does not even suspect that high fever manifests itself as a symptom, pneumonia in which it is quite possible. He confuses pneumonia with a viral infection. But it’s a sin to hide, sometimes a doctor cannot diagnose pneumonia. In such situations, complications simply cannot be avoided.

The main symptom, pneumonia without which does not happen, is a cough. It becomes a constant and main symptom of a disease if:

• better health is again replaced by deterioration in health;
• the disease lasts more than seven days;
• a deep breath causes coughing;
• even antipyretic drugs do not help improve the condition;
• a clear pallor of the skin appeared;
• tormented by constant shortness of breath.

Such symptoms do not indicate the presence of pneumonia, but give an occasion to conduct a thorough diagnosis.

Bilateral pneumonia

In clinical practice, this disease is considered very severe. In this embodiment, the focus of inflammation is localized simultaneously in both lungs. Bilateral pneumonia can develop both as an independent disease, and as a complication after bronchitis or SARS. Inflammation captures the alveoli, pleura, intermediate tissue and bronchi.

Pneumonia in children

Very rarely in children, pneumonia is observed as an independent disease. Most often, after a viral infection or as a complication after the flu , any serious symptom appears. Inflammation of the lungs becomes a continuation of an existing disease. This occurs due to low immunity. Microbes in the upper pathways are not destroyed by immune cells and easily penetrate into the lungs, where they actively multiply.

A classic case of the disease is pneumococcus infection. In children under three years of age, a staphylococcal pathogen is also observed. Chlamydial or mycoplasma bacteria provoke the disease less often.

In any case, pneumonia is a deadly disease for babies. It is very important to correctly and timely diagnose and begin treatment. Moreover, in most cases, pneumonia is not so serious and easily treatable.